Steel-barrel top and cover therefor



Sept. 7 1926. 1,598,870

s. B. MERRY} STEEL BARREL TOP AND COVER THEREFOR Filed Nov. 5, 1925 T 2320 a7 26 a5 INVENTOR dwmd 77? /6 ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 7, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SEWABD 1B. MERRY, OF BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA ASSIGNOR TO THE REPUBLIC STEELPAGKAGE COMPANY, OF RICHMOND, CALIFORNIA, A CORPORATION OF CALIFOR-STEEL-BARREL TOP AND COVER THEREFOR.

Application filed November 8, 1925. Serial No. 66,488.

My invention relates to barrels or other containers, and it has specialreference to tops and covers for barrels made of sheet steel or otherstrong sheet material adapted 6 to withstand the rough usage to whichsuch barrels are subjected in service and shipment. I

, For steel-barrels, in which various materials are shipped, it iscustomary to provide covers that are secured to the tops of the barrels,with a number of bolts, but, sincea considerable amount of time isconsumed by this method both, in sealing the containers for shipment andin opening them, cov- 16 ers have been provided/for the purpose of guickapplication and removal. It has been ound in practice, however, that, asa result of the bumps and hard knocks the containers receive intransportation, the tops of the containers become so dented that, whenthe covers are reapplied, a satisfactory seal cannot be effected, andthat therefore the containers must go through a renewing process inorder to be usable, or otherwise be entirely discarded.

The principal object of. my invention is to construct a top and a covertherefor so that the cover, when it has been placed in position and ispartially turned on the top, will effect a perfect seal therewith,irrespeetive of'the dents that may be in the top.

Another object is to make it possible for the barreland its topto bemade of light and consequently cheaper sheet material than heretoforeused, as the stiff cover of my invention can have sufiicient powerapplied thereto so as to draw the thinner barrel top to it.

Another object is to construct a top and a cover therefor so that aturning movement in one direction of the cover, unless positivelycausing a tight junction between the top and the cover, will first bepossible without further tightening and,,1f continued, will release thecover from the top in order to make the 0 orator aware of the need of athicker gas st for efiecting the seal.

In the drawings, which illustrate my invention,

Figure 1 is a fragmental mid-sectional elevation of a barrel, with thecover and the gasket in the barrel top partly in section;

'18 of the flanges 1 Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the cover and a partof the top, as viewed from the right in Fig. 1, the top being insection;

Fig. 3'is a'broken bottom plan of the barrel top of Fig. 1 with thecover therein placed in the initial position for turning to secure it tothe barrel top, part of the cover and part of the handle for the coverbein broken awa in order to show clearly the anges and t e slots at theopening in the top;

Fig. 4 is a fragmental, sectional elevation of the barrel top of'Fig. lwith the cover removed;

Fig. 5 is a top plan of part of the barrel top with the cover thereinand turned to securing position, part of the cover' being broken away toclearly show the slots and spaced flanges at the edge of the openings;an a h Fig. 6 is' a side elevation of Fig. 5, showingto advantage thedepending flanges in engagement with the rejections on thecylindricalportion of t e cover.

In the preferred embodiment of my invention, a barrel or container 10,which is preferably made of steel or some other suitable, sheetmaterial, has a top 11 joined thereto as by plies 12, and has therein acircular opening 15. In the edge of the opening are slots 16 spacedequidistantly from one another, and integral with the said top areflanges 17 each of which extends between two successive slots and intothe barrel. Each of the flanges 17 has a sloping edge 18, whichterminates uninterruptedly in a portion 19 virtually parallel with theplane ofthe top 11.

' For the top '11, I provide a cover 20 preferably of stronger materialthan the said top, and which cover has a cylindrical portion 21 adaptedto slip within the opening 15, and an annular flange 22 integral withthe cylindrical portion and adapted to bear on the top whensecured-thereto. Formedintegral with the cylindrical ortion 21 areprojections 23, which pre erably have slightly sloping sidescorresponding with the edges The projections are s aced apartcorresponding with the spaced s ots 16 and the flanges 17, so that theyare adapted to be inserted through the slots for An annular depression26 in the flange, anda corresponding annular depression 27 in the topmay be formed for drawing the gasket thereinto to seal the joint. Bymeans of a handle 28, secured in any suitable manner to the cover, theattachment thereof to the barrcl top, or the detachment therefrom iseasily accomplished.

The projections 23 ride unrestrictedly upon the flanges 17, so that theoperator is always aware \vhen'a tight joint is effected. If the gasket25 is of insufficient thickness to assure a tight 'joint, theprojections simply ride fromv the sloping edges 18 onto the straightedges 19 and off, thereby warning the operator that a further tighteningcannot be effected and a thicker gasket mustbe provided to assure aperfect seal.

It is thus seen that my invention has a decided advantage over coversprovided with lugs which are adapted to ride in grooves, which limit therotation of the cover to the length of the grooves, and in the useofsuch covers it is thus often impossible to determine whether a tightseal is effected or not.

A further disadvantage 'in the use of such covers is that, if thecontainer tops have dents or bulges therein, the lugs are therebyprevented from entering the rooves, thus making the containers unusua lefor shipment until difiicult repairs are made.

Having thus illustrated and described the preferred embodiment of myinvention, I wish it understood that slight-changes may be made, whenpractice suggests, that come within the spirit and scope of the appendedclaim.

I claim:

In a barrel, of the like, formed of sheet material and'havin an openingin its top; a plurality of flanges spaced apart from one another andextending into the barrel at said opening; each of said flanges having asloping edge terminating uninterruptedly in a portion virtually parallelwith the plane of said top; a cover having a cylindrical portion adapted'to fit within said opening, and an annular flange integral with thecylindrical portion and adapted to bear on the top of said barrel; andinclined projections integral with the cylindrical portion. and adaptedto be inserted between said spaced flanges and to ride upon the slopingedges thereof for fastening the cover to the barrel by a partial turn ofsaid cover.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

SEWARD B. MERRY.

